Blast furnace cooling plates



March 22, 1966 w, LQECHER 3,241,528

BLAST FURNACE COOLING PLATES Filed June 13, 1963 4 20 V 0114 VIIIIIIIIII Inventor WAYNE E. LOECH ER J 'fiornel-S United States Patent 3,241,528BLAST FURNACE COOLING PLATES Wayne E. Loecher, Meadville, Pa., assignorto American Brake Shoe Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation ofDelaware Filed June 13, 1963, Ser. No. 287,627

7 Claims. (Cl. 1226.5)

This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No.232,064 filed October 22, 1962, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a two-piece blast furnace cooling plate. Inparticular, the invention relates to a plate of the aforesaid kindhaving a complicated contour which presents restrictive limitations inregard to the size of conduits employed for achieving internal coolingof the nose and body portions thereof,

Wall sections of a blast furnace are oftentimes equipped with coolingplates designed for circulation of cooling water therein incidental tocooling and thereby prolonging the corresponding part of the furnacewall. The cooling plates are sometimes of quite complicated formpresenting a substantial problem in any attempt to achieve an efficientcirculation of cooling water within the plate. Thus, in the presentinstance, involving a two-piece plate characterized by separable bodyand nose members, a problem is presented by a contour within the bodymember presenting narrow sections which makes it difficult to achieve amaximum flow of cooling water to and from the nose of the plate.

The primary object of the present invention is to overcome thisdifficulty by directing coolant for cooling the nose portion through aconduit located at the maximum width of the body member, permitting asupply conduit of maximum diameter to be used, and surrounding thisconduit with a concentric return conduit in communication with the noseof the plate. Additionally, the two pipes aforesaid are arranged withina tube cast integral with the body member of the plate to extend fromthe front to the rear wall thereof, this tube serving to impart strengthto the plate as well as functioning as a vertical bafiie, therebyincreasing the turbulence and the efficiency of cooling water separatelyadmitted to the interior of the body member as will be explained.

Cooling plates of the kind under consideration are subjected to rathersevere mechanical abuse as the refractory wall portion of the blastfurnace in which the plate is installed wears away, exposing the nose ofthe plate. In other words, after prolonged use of the furnace, the wallin which the cooling plate is installed gradually wears away, exposingmore and more of the cooling plate to the burden of the furnace.Heretofore, this condition has resulted in rather severe warpage ofblast furnace cooling plates, and in particular has caused early failureof the nose member of the plate. Downward warpage of the nose sectioncauses the plate to creep into the furnace thereby creating amaintenance problem in removal. An additional problem is presented whenattempting to shove the plate into the furnace (if removal is notsuccessful) due to the wedge shape or complicated contour of the plate.

Under and in accordance with the present invention, the nose member issecured to the forward end of the body member of the plate by threadedlyconnecting thereto the aforementioned discharge pipe, enabling the noseportion to be easily dropped into the furnace thereby allowing "ice thebody member, thus sealing off any escaping furnace gases. The body alonewill continue to function until such a time when a replacement coolingplate can be installed. At that time the body portion can be removed,inspected and if in satisfactory condition, a new nose and pipe assemblycan be made.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent fromthe following description and claims and are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show preferredembodiments of the present invention and the principles thereof and whatis now considered to be the best mode contemplated for applying theseprinciples. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same orequivalent principles may be used as desired by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the present invention and the purview of theappended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional View of the cooling plate of the presentinvention, taken substantially on the line 1-1 of FIG. 2, and on anenlarged scale in comparison thereto;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are end elevations of the cooling plate on the lines 2-2and 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view substantially on the line 4-4 of FIG, 1.

As noted above, the blast furnace cooling plate of the present inventionis of two-piece construction, and such is indicated by the referencecharacter 10 in the drawings as inclusive of a blade-like compartmentedor hollow body member 11 and a separate hollow nose mem ber 12 thatdisplays a taper complemental to that of the body member hereinafterdescribed. Both members are cast.

The body member 11 includes a rear wall or butt end 13 provided withthreaded openings 15 and 16 which enable water feed and discharge pipesto be coupled thereto for directing cooling water into the interior ofthe body member, and discharging the same. In this connection, it may beobserved that the body member 11 includes two spaced side compartments17 and 18 generally separated by a central tubular wall 20 cast integralwith the body member to extend continuously from the front wall 21 ofthe body 11 to the rear wall 13.

Additionally, the two compartments 17 and 18 are provided with fiatvertical bafiie plates 22 and 23, FIG. 2, which project from theinternal butt end of the body portion 11, terminating short of the frontwall 21. Both baffle plates are cast as webs integrally joinedinternally to the top and bottom walls of the body member, hereinafteridentified, although vent openings 22A and 23A are preferably providedtherein for efficiency in turbulence.

The nose number 12 includes a rear wall 25. The external surface thereofis planar and adapted to be butted against the planar external surfaceof the front end wall 21 of the body member 11. A pair of locating pins26 and 27 project from one of the butted walls to enable the other to beneatly fitted thereto incidental to facilitating the conduit connectionshereinafter described,

The nose member includes a relatively large internal chamber 30 having apair of upper and lower baffie plates 31 and 32 cast integral thereinand joined to the internal side walls thereof as shown in FIG. 4. Aconduit support 35 is also located within the nose portion justrearwardly of the front wall 36 thereof, and this support is providedwith an aperture 35A for supporting the forwardmost end of a feed orsupply conduit 40 as hereinafter described in more detail.

It will be observed that the body member 11 (see FIG. 1) embodies aback-to-front taper that is of a convergent nature proceeding from thebutt or rear wall 13 toward the more narrow front wall 21. The contouris further complicated by the fact that the two side walls 41 and 42 arerounded; and of the top and bottom walls, the bottom Wall 44 is flat orstraight and the top wall 45 is arcuate.

Inasmuch as the walls of the body member 11 are of uniform thickness,this contour is also displayed at the inside of the cooling plateresulting in a diflerential or variant internal width making it ratherdifficult to achieve conduit sizes that permit enough flow of coolant toproperly cool the interior of the separate nose member 12 simultaneouslywith the interior of the body member.

It will thus be seen that the interior of the body of the cooling plateincludes sections of a rather confining nature, but in spite of this,and by locating the openings 15 and 16 as they are, it is possible todirect cooling water at a maximum rate and volume into the interior ofthe nose member by having resort to the supply pipe 40 locatedconcentrically within a water return pipe which is locatedconcentrically within the tubular wall 211 of the body portion ashereinafter described.

Thus, in supplying cooling water to the nose member 12 of the coolingplate 10, the feed pipe 40 is arranged in spaced relation within areturn pipe 50 which in turn is arranged in spaced relation within thecentral tubular wall 20 of the body 11. The forwardmost end of the pipe40 is supported by the element 35 mentioned above. In this connection itis to be observed that the support 35 is just rearward of the internalsurface of the nose end wall 36 so that the inlet coolant is firstdirected against the end wall 36 which is subjected to the most severethermal abuse. The pipe 40 extends outward of the body 11 and has athreaded end 40T adapted to be coupled to the supply of cooling water.

In connection with the admission of cooling fluid, it is important tonote that the tube 20 is in part defined by the bottom wall 44, but isspaced in part from the top wall 45, adjacent the butt end of the plate,as shown in FIG. 4. Such spacing affords a chamber or cross-over gap 48connecting chambers 17 and 18. The area of the gap 48 is in excess ofthe areas of the water input and output pipes, thereby to preventrestrictive water flow.

Under and in accordance with the present invention the nose 12 issecurely joined to the body 11 by means including the threaded end SOTof the water discharge pipe 50, which is adapted to conduct the expiredcoolant from the compartment 30 of the nose 12. Thus, the rear end wallof the nose 12 is provided with a tapped opening 2ST in which thethreaded end 511T of the return pipe 50 is located. Such a threadedjoint as the sole effective connection between the body member 11 andthe nose member 12 is adequate for most installations. However, wheresevere mechanical abuse is to be expected, additional strength may beafforded by a metallurgical bond in the form of a weld W between thebutted ends of the body and nose as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.Alternatively, a braze joint may be used as the metallurgical bond.

The discharge pipe 50 includes a threaded end 51 extending rearward fromthe end wall 13 of the body 11. A lock nut 52 is mounted on the threadedend 51 of the pipe 50 and is turned up thereon forcefully against theouter face of the butt end 13 of the body member 11. A T-fitting 53 isseated on the exposed end of the pipe 50 incidental to connecting thedischarge pipe 50 to the drain.

In operation, copious amounts of cooling water are directed into theinternal compartment of the nose 12, emitted from the open end of thepipe 40. Turbulence within the compartment 30 is established by thebaffies 31, 32 and support 35, and used coolant is discharged throughthe discharge pipe 50. Selection of the largest conduit, which permitsmaximum flow, is made possible by locating the feed pipe at the widestportion of the body 11 as described above.

Likewise, large amounts of cooling water are separately directed intothe compartments 17 and 18 of the body 11, and the baffles 22 and 23, incooperation with the central tubular wall baffle 20, produce turbulenceat maximum etficiency for a casting of the kind under consideration.

It will therefore be seen that the tubular wall 20 of the body 11,located centrally within the body member at the widest part thereof, notonly establishes maximum clearance for the supply and discharge conduitsfor nose coolant, but also cooperates with the bafiies 22 and 23 tocreate maximum turbulence within the body 11. At the same time, thearrangement makes possible joining of the nose 12 to the body 11 by thethread 50T on the conduit 50 and the lock nut 52, with or without thesupplementary metallurgical bond as may be needed for additionalstrength.

It will be noted, as shown in FIG. 1, that the butt end of the tubularcasting 20 is threaded at 55. The reason for this is as follows. If thenose 12 drops into the furnace, there is no longer any use for the pipes4050. The latter are withdrawn, and a pipe plug is then seated in thethreaded opening 55 to seal off the escape of furnace gas down the tube20. A castable refractory can, if desired, be rammed into the tube 20prior to installing the pipe plug.

Hence, while I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment ofmy invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variationand modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to theprecise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changesand alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A blast furnace cooling plate comprising a bladelike hollow bodymember having a rear wall and a front wall, a separate hollow nosemember having a forwardmost front wall and a rear wall abutting thefront wall of the body member, said body member having an internalcontour establishing an internal chamber of differential width, saidbody member being provided with an internal tube continuous between thefront and rear walls and located substantially at the maximum width ofsaid chamber, a return conduit for coolant directed to the interior ofsaid nose member and located within said tube to communicate with theinterior of said nose member, a supply conduit within said returnconduit and in communication with the interior of said nose portion,said return conduit being threadedly joined to the rear wall of saidnose portion, and the rear wall of said body member having openings ateither side of said tube for the admission of and withdrawal of coolantsupplied to the interior of the body member.

2. A cooling plate according to claim 1 wherein the internal chamber ofthe body member is provided with baffles extending substantiallyparallel to and located on either side of said tube.

3. A blast furnace cooling plate according to claim 1 wherein the twomembers are castings, and wherein said tube is cast integral with saidbody member.

4. A blast furnace cooling plate comprising a hollow body member and aseparate hollow nose member having adjacent walls abutting one another,an outer wall of the body member being provided with openings enablingconduits to be connected thereto for admitting coolant to anddischarging coolant from the interior of said body member, said bodymember having an internal tube continuous between said walls thereof, areturn conduit within said tube having an end threadedly connected tothe wall of said nose member that abuts said body member to thereby joinand hold the nose member to the body member, the threaded end of saidreturn conduit being in communication with the interior of said nosemember to enable coolant to be discharged therefrom, and a separatesupply conduit within said return conduit and communicating with theinterior of said nose member to supply coolant thereto.

5. A cooling plate according to claim 4 wherein the nose member includesan internal support for the end of the supply conduit that is incommunication with the interior of the nose member.

6. A cooling plate according to claim 4 wherein a metallurgical bond isaiforded between the butted ends of the nose member and the body member.

7. A cast blast furnace cooling plate comprising a cast blade-likehollow body member having a rear wall and a front wall, a separatehollow cast nose member having a forwardmost front Wall and a rear wallabutting the front wall of the body member, said body member having sideWalls and top and bottom walls defining a body interior of differentialwidth, the interior of said body member being provided with an internaltube continuous between the front and rear walls and locatedsubstantially at the maximum width of said interior, said tube dividingthe interior of the body member into two chambers and additionallyserving as a baffle for coolant supplied thereto, said tube having awall in common with one of said top and bottom walls and being spacedfrom the other to alford a cross-over gap interconnecting said chambers,a return conduit for coolant directed to the interior of said nosemember and located within said tube to communicate with the interior ofsaid nose member, a supply conduit Within said return conduit and incommunication with the interior of said nose portion, said returnconduit being threadedly joined to the rear wall of said nose portion asthe connection between the body member and the nose member, and the rearwall of said body member having openings at either side of said tube forthe admission of and withdrawal of coolant supplied to the interior ofthe body member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,703,517 2/1929Dovel 266-32 X 2,722,412 11/ 1955 Anderson et al' 266-32 20 WHITMORE A.WILTZ, Primary Examiner.

1. A BLAST FURNACE COOLING PLATE COMPRISING A BLADELIKE HOLLOW BODYMEMBER HAVING A REAR WALL AND A FRONT WALL, A SEPARATE HOLLOW NOSEMEMBER HAVING A FORWARDMOST FRONT WALL AND A REAR WALL ABUTTING THEFRONT WALL OF THE BODY MEMBER, SAID BODY MEMBER HAVING AN INTERNALCONTOUR ESTABLISHING AN INTERNAL CHAMBER OF DIFFERENTIAL WIDTH, SAIDBODY MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH AN INTERNAL TUBE CONTINUOUS BETWEEN THEFRONT AND REAR WALLS AND LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE MAXIMUM WIDTH OFSAID CHAMBER, A RETURN CONDUIT FOR COOLANT DIRECTED TO THE INTERIOR OFSAID NOSE MEMBER AND LOCATED WITHIN SAID TUBE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEINTERIOR OF SAID NOSE MEMBER, A SUPPLY CONDUIT WITHIN SAID RETURNCONDUIT AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID NOSE PORTION,SAID RETURN CONDUIT BEING THREADEDLY JOINED TO THE REAR WALL OF SAIDNOSE PORTION, AND THE REAR WALL OF SAID BODY MEMBER HAVING OPENINGS ATEITHER SIDE OF SAID TUBE FOR THE ADMISSION OF SAID WITHDRAWAL OF COOLANTSUPPLIED TO THE INTERIOR OF THE BODY MEMBER.